S. 5210: Display America's Art Act

This bill would create a Congressional Art Loan Program that lets certain works of art owned by federally funded art institutions be loaned for display in Members of Congress’s personal and leadership offices.

What the bill does

• It applies to eligible institutions, meaning institutions that own visual art collections and receive annual federal funding.
• This includes the Smithsonian Institution and its related museums and galleries, such as the National Gallery of Art and the National Portrait Gallery.
• The Architect of the Capitol would be responsible for setting up and running the program, working with those institutions.
• Only art that is currently not on public display could be loaned out.
• Before any piece is loaned, both the Architect of the Capitol and the owning institution would have to decide that the artwork is available and appropriate for display in a congressional office.

Practical effect

In simple terms, the bill would make it possible for some art that is sitting in storage at federal art institutions to be temporarily displayed in congressional offices instead of remaining off view.

Relevant Companies

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